The Fundación madri+d presented at South Summit the Startup Radar 2026 ecosystem report, which confirms the consolidation of the Madrid region as the main national hub and as one of the leading technological and entrepreneurial hubs in Europe.
The report reveals the latest data on the evolution and impact of the number of technology companies, their sectors and technologies, sales, investment, founders’ experience, and the entities that support startups in the Madrid Region.
Startup creation, employment and contribution to GDP accelerate in 2025
The Madrid Region has more than 2,600 active and non-acquired technology companies that generate the highest regional levels of employment and annual turnover in Spain, with 53,000 jobs in Spain (to which must be added those created beyond our borders) and €9.8 billion (equivalent to 3% of the GDP of the Madrid Region), respectively. In addition, these companies accumulate venture capital investments worth €5.8 billion and a total of 738 patents.
The pace of company creation continued to increase in 2025, with 37% of companies under 5 years old and 91% under 15 years old. Companies aged between 6 and 15 years account for the highest levels of investment and employment, with €4.5 billion and 29,500 employees (82% and 55% of the total, respectively).
The report analyses in depth a sample of 2,400 active and non-acquired companies created in the last 15 years. These companies account for 34,600 jobs, 65% of the total. Their combined turnover reaches €5.6 billion, and accumulated investment in these companies amounts to €5.1 billion, with averages of 14.4 employees and €2.3 million in annual revenue per company. These companies also account for a total of 339 patents.
By sector, transport/logistics and enterprise software lead job creation, with more than 3,000 jobs each. They are followed by verticals such as marketing, energy, fintech and health. The sector with the highest turnover in 2025 was energy with more than €1.1 billion, followed by transport and logistics, marketing and fintech.
All these data reflected in the Startup Radar report are closely related to those included in the Regional Report on Tech and Innovative Companies prepared by El Referente in collaboration with the Fundación madri+d through Startup Radar madri+d, which confirm an acceleration of growth in the Madrid ecosystem above the national average, with a 21.9% increase in employment generated and a 38.7% increase in combined turnover. The report also highlights the 193 scaleups identified in the region, which are consolidating as a major economic engine generating more than 8,600 jobs, jointly exceeding €2.056 billion in revenue, with an average of 44 employees and more than €10.6 million in turnover per scaleup.
The Community of Madrid, one of Europe’s leading hubs for investment, talent and scientific entrepreneurship
According to the report, the region stands out not only for its number of startups, but also for talent availability and attraction, and its appeal for investment, according to international reports such as the Global Power City Index 2025, European Cities and Regions of the Future by fDi Intelligence (Financial Times) or Startup Heatmap. Dealroom data confirm the region’s consolidation as a scientific entrepreneurship hub, behind London, Paris and Berlin, ranking fourth in Europe in number of science-based or deeptech companies, seventh in number of research spin-offs, and tenth in number of startups with patents, as well as first nationally in all three indicators.
Madrid consolidates itself as the main financial centre and capital-raising hub for technological entrepreneurship in Spain.
During 2025, technology companies in the region raised €1.2 billion, 37% of total startup investment in Spain. The Community of Madrid also stands out for the total number of companies that have attracted investment over the historical series: fifth position in Europe, with 2,150 companies, behind London, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm, and seventh in terms of venture capital attraction (1,400 companies).
Focusing on the sample of technology companies under 15 years old, accumulated investment reaches €5.6 billion, with fintech standing out (€1.3 billion), followed by transport and logistics, real estate, energy, enterprise software, mobility, marketing, travel, education and health. In 2025, the sectors that stood out in investment attraction were transport, travel, enterprise software, education, gaming, employment and fintech.
The ecosystem’s growth partly explains the significant increase in valuation of Madrid companies since 2017, which is, after Oslo, the second highest growth among major European hubs.
Artificial intelligence usage takes off and deeptech grows alongside international talent attraction
Access to talent for international startups is more favourable in locations with higher concentration of tech employment, universities, business schools and innovation activity. The attractiveness of the Community of Madrid in all these areas explains the growing number of offices opened by foreign startups (417), the fifth highest in Europe after London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris.
In terms of technology, the rise of AI stands out, growing by 31% in just one year, from 340 to 446 companies using it as their core business technology. Deeptech companies concentrate 57% of patents (195 of 340). They are followed by software platforms, mobile technologies, big data and machine learning.
A high percentage of startup founders have between 9 and 16 years of prior experience when founding their company and have studied at universities and business schools also featured in the report.
Madrid city, a leading European hub surrounded by fast-growing cities
Madrid is the Spanish city with the highest concentration of startups. Considering the entire Community of Madrid, its capital concentrates 72% of technology companies under 15 years old (1,710) and accounts for 73% of jobs created, 87.5% of investment, 81% of sales and 65% of patents.
After Madrid, other cities in the region show strong growth, such as Alcobendas (second in employment and total investment), Las Rozas (second in number of companies) and Pozuelo de Alarcón.
Discover more about the Madrid innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Startup Radar madri+d
Through Startup Radar madri+d it is possible to explore the main companies, programmes and events in the Community of Madrid across more than twenty sectors such as health, fintech and transport, and technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT and big data. It also allows searches for startups founded since 2016, support entities, Dealroom-based queries, and downloads of sector reports. In addition, the platform offers tools such as a public funding instruments search engine, a Matching Tool to filter international investor profiles, and a Job Board for startup employment in the Community of Madrid.
With the publication of the 2026 ecosystem report, the Community of Madrid, through the Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d, consolidates Startup Radar as a key resource for understanding and boosting the region’s innovation ecosystem.
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